Users of computer networks are becoming increasingly mobile. At a growing rate, users access both local and wide area networks from portable processors, such as laptop computers, personal digital assistants, and cellular phones with networking capabilities. Mobile users would benefit from printing that is offered as a network service at remote sites. However, for most users printing is carried out at a default location, independent of where the mobile user is currently located. For example, most network users have a default printer to which print jobs are automatically sent.
Print menus have been modified to improve this situation. In many local area networks, for example within a company or institution, the user may be offered a choice of printers that are available through the local area network. The choice of printers allows the user to select a remote printer that is distinct from the default printer to accommodate mobility of the user within the local area network. For example, if the user has an alternate work site within the company, the user may frequently print to a non-default printer at the alternate work site. However, in many cases an appropriate non-default printer is difficult for the user to identify. The name of potential printers may not be correlated well with the location of the potential printers, thus proximity of each potential printer to the alternate work site may be difficult for the user to ascertain.
The difficulty of identifying a convenient printer for a user is compounded when the user has a complex schedule that includes meetings at many different locations both within the company and outside of the local area network of the company. In this case, the user may find it virtually impossible to correctly select printers that correspond to each location in the schedule. Thus, the user may be unaware of more convenient printers offered by the print menu and may come to rely solely on the default printer, even when another printer would be more suitable. A method is required to automate selection of an appropriate printer based on the user's schedule.